NCSMA Website and Branding
I was hired to work at the North Carolina Scholastic Media Association during my sophomore year of college. At the recommendation of my web design professor, my boss reached out to me and asked me to rebrand their website. At the time, I had zero photoshop or illustrator experience. However, as I gained more tools, I had the opportunity to create everything from social media posts to branding for summer programs! I ended up staying on the payroll until I graduated and still help out!
Where We Started
When I began at NCSMA, the website had not been updated since 2009. The home page was quite crowded and dark. The theme was a custom one made specifically for NCSMA and did not have any editing limitations.
Limitations and Research
When it came to creating the new website, there was a myriad of limitations. I had to use the brand-specific fonts, colors, and existing content to keep with association integrity. Because we were using Web dot UNC, UNC’s version of WordPress, there were only a few plugins we were allowed to use and only one theme. Most of the specific design elements, such as the hero image on the home page with a header and button, were done through “fudging” the coding to make it work. During this stage, I spent a lot of my time at the UNC library speaking with the librarians about different ways to edit the website most effectively. Also, some embedded links would not work due to the program’s age. Instagram was not recognized meaning the website couldn’t have social media embeds created after 2010.
Final Results
The website took about 6 months to do a complete overhaul. This included starting from the ground up on a separate URL and transferring all of the code over once it was finished. I created a minimalistic look that was sleek and timeless while adhering to brand standards.
After the Website…
After the website was complete, I continued to create content for NCSMA. Eventually, I became Head Graphic and Web Designer. Aditionally, I was the editor of the monthly emails. One of my favorite activities was getting to turn our student officers’ theme for the summer into branding for our annual institute. I have had the opportunity to do it from 2020 up through this year!
Conferences in a Pandemic
One fo the biggest changes to the conferences once the pandemic started was to create zoom backgrounds. It was a way to lift peoples spirits and give them a connection while participating across the state.
Featured at UNC
The artwork has a continuing life many years later. In summer 2022, the zoom backgrounds were used at backdrops in the Curtis Media Center at UNC!
